Description: Here we pour through Article One of the Constitution section by section, describing each as we go along.
Goals: After reading through the material above, you should be able to address the following questions:
- What aspects of the legislature as designed in the Articles of Confederations were unaccesptable to the Federalists? What did they hope to achieve with a new design?
- What types of legislatures did James Madison and Alexander Hamilton (separately) introduce to the convention? How were the proposals received?
- Be able to identify the material covered in each of the ten sections of Article One.
- What are the principle differences between the House and the Senate? What - or whom - is each institution responsible to? How does the design of each make them distinct from each other? What controversies were involved in the design of each?
- Be familar with basic details of House and Senate Elections.
- How detailed is the design of Congress in the Constitution?
- What specific positions of power in the legislature are created in the Constitution?
- What does the Constitution say about the bill making process?
- What protections does the Constitution grant members of Congress from other branches?
- What parts of the Constitution have allowed Congress to expand its powers?
- What checks does the Constitution grant Congress over the other two branches?
- What impact has gerrymandering had on the House? on the Senate?
- What specific powers are granted to the national government in Section 8? Why those specific powers? What limitations are placed on the national government in Section 9?
Description: Here we pour through Article One of the Constitution section by section, describing each as we go along.
Goals: After reading through the material above, you should be able to address the following questions:
- What aspects of the legislature as designed in the Articles of Confederations were unaccesptable to the Federalists? What did they hope to achieve with a new design?
- What types of legislatures did James Madison and Alexander Hamilton (separately) introduce to the convention? How were the proposals received?
- Be able to identify the material covered in each of the ten sections of Article One.
- What are the principle differences between the House and the Senate? What - or whom - is each institution responsible to? How does the design of each make them distinct from each other? What controversies were involved in the design of each?
- Be familar with basic details of House and Senate Elections.
- How detailed is the design of Congress in the Constitution?
- What specific positions of power in the legislature are created in the Constitution?
- What does the Constitution say about the bill making process?
- What protections does the Constitution grant members of Congress from other branches?
- What parts of the Constitution have allowed Congress to expand its powers?
- What checks does the Constitution grant Congress over the other two branches?
- What impact has gerrymandering had on the House? on the Senate?
- What specific powers are granted to the national government in Section 8? Why those specific powers? What limitations are placed on the national government in Section 9?